Richard Feynman

One of the best known and most renowned scientists in history, Richard Feynman pioneered quantum mechanics. His knack for accessible explanations made him a popularizer of physics of equal distinction to laypeople.

Why you should listen

Richard Feynman began his career at a crossroads in history, assisting the Manhattan Project with the development of the atomic bomb. Soon he was producing breakthrough understandings of particle physics and quantum mechanics, for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1965. His pictorial representations of the actions of subatomic particles are still widely used today (they're now called Feynman diagrams).

Feynman acted as an adviser on the commission investigating the space shuttle Challenger disaster. Books based on his lectures and conversations became best-sellers, and cemented him in the public mind as an explainer of science. He was a legendary prankster, a charismatic free-thinker and an avid bongoist.

What others say

“At twenty-three ... there was no physicist on earth who could match his exuberant command over the native materials of theoretical science. [...] Feynman seemed to possess a frightening ease with the substance behind the equations, like Albert Einstein at the same age, like the Soviet physicist Lev Landau -- but few others.” — James Gleick

Richard Feynman’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman: Physics is fun to imagine In this archival footage from BBC TV, celebrated physicist Richard Feynman explains what fire, magnets, rubber bands (and more) are like at the scale of the jiggling atoms they’re made of. This accessible, enchanting conversation in physics reveals a teeming nano-world that’s just plain fun to imagine. Watch […]